Mount Kurama, Kyoto, Japan
Mount Kurama is believed to be the birthplace of Reiki, a Japanese energy healing practice. At the summit, just in front of the main temple, , you’ll find a sacred geometric pattern embedded in the ground, Kongōshō — a stone triangle at its heart. It’s said that standing in the center can activate your inner spiritual power, sending a surge of energy through your body.
Call it placebo, but after hearing about the spiritual energy this place is said to hold, the moment I stood on the triangle, I genuinely felt a current of power rise up through my feet and out the crown of my head. Huge thanks to the beautiful Monique for sharing this recommendation!
Mount Kurama seemed to have less of a buzz compared to other tourist spots in Kyoto — perhaps because it’s quite a trek to get there by public transport. Once you arrive, it’s almost a full day’s worth of hiking to properly explore the area.
Bullet train stations or any station in Japan are HECTIC — seriously, give yourself at least two hours before your departure to navigate them. If you can muster the courage to tackle the anxiety-inducing task of the ticket system, you’ll be rewarded with significantly reduced travel time.
A dear friend described Japan’s train stations perfectly: “like a fever dream.”
Speaking of that friend…
Luke had asked for my help in surprising Rocky while we were both in Japan. Our itineraries happened to overlap perfectly, but the surprise didn’t quite go to plan. Rocky fell ill and stayed in bed, so Luke and I ended up spending two days sightseeing without him, all while keeping it a secret!
We joked that sneaking around with another man on my honeymoon wasn’t exactly the romantic start we envisioned. But when Rocky finally recovered and got his big surprise, it was all worth it. Haha!
TeamLab Borderless Tokyo:
Two words: DO IT.
An interactive digital art exhibition that makes you feel like you’ve fallen down the rabbit hole into another world. You won’t regret it!
Senso-ji Temple
Tokyo’s oldest temple, founded in 628 AD, has a presence that you have to experience for yourself.
At Senso-ji, you can draw a numbered stick from a metal box, which corresponds to a drawer containing your fortune (omikuji). These fortunes range from great blessings (daikichi) to great curses (daikyo). If the fortune is bad, it’s customary to tie it to a nearby rack or tree to leave the bad luck behind. If it’s good, you keep it!
The temple is surrounded by markets, and we arrived just as the sun was setting, which brought a peaceful slowness to the experience as the crowds began to thin.
Our final day in Japan was… miserable.
I woke up with a locked neck and a throat that felt like I had swallowed razor blades. The cold Rocky had caught days before finally caught up with me too. Despite the setbacks, we persevered and headed to the famous street go-kart experience — our most anticipated honeymoon activity. Despite the rain that day, we still showed up, but were turned away — it was unsafe to drive in the conditions. The cold, wet night mirrored our moods. We rejoined the stampede of umbrellas in rush hour, feeling deflated.
Amidst the chaos, I made eye contact with a homeless man sitting by the side of the street. He looked at me with so much warmth in his eyes and a smile so genuine that I couldn’t help but smile back.
In that split second, something shifted and I was snapped back to gratitude. I reflected:
Who cares?
I am abundant in so many ways. And here, in front of me, a man with so little, yet he was gifting me something priceless.
A humble reminder: Happiness isn’t tied to materialistic or external things, but how we show up with gratitude for what we do have.
With love & ink, Chloe @hummingbirdinkstudio
Next up:
Swimming with whale sharks and chasing waterfalls in the Philippines!
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Hot tips:
+ Japan isn’t exactly designed for westerners: ceilings and doorways are often low, and rooms are narrow. However, don’t let that stop you!
+ Bring your best walking shoes — expect to average 20k steps a day.
+ It’s not polite to blow your nose in public, but sniffing is okay.
+ There aren’t many public bins around, so be prepared to take your rubbish back to your accommodation or hold onto it until you find a bin.
+TeamLab Borderless sells out fast, so be sure to book a few weeks in advance!
